Suspects in robbery series arraigned

San Diego  Two men accused in a series of armed robberies throughout California — including a daring heist at a Fashion Valley mall jewelry store and a holdup at Barona Casino — pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges.

Parolees Robert Chavira, 40, and Ryan Alan McKnight, 34, face charges of robbery and arson in connection with the incidents in September and October. They were arrested last month in the Harborview area of San Diego after leaving a nearby hotel.

Both men have previous felony convictions and at least one strike on their records, which would significantly increase their potential sentences if convicted in the new case.

Deputy District Attorney Rick Clabby said the men are accused in a spate of heists in San Diego, Santa Clara, Orange and Riverside counties. He noted that additional charges would likely be filed later.

“They’re as brazen as they possibly could be,” Clabby said of the heists. “These robberies were taking place primarily in the daylight hours, with a lot of innocent victims in the area when they went down.”

In the Fashion Valley robbery on Sept. 16, a group of masked gunmen drove a stolen Honda into the mall through an area meant for pedestrians, causing shoppers to leap out of the way to avoid injury. The robbers stopped at Ben Bridge Jewelers, used sledgehammers to break open the display cases and took several Rolex watches and other expensive merchandise.

They got back into the getaway car and backed out of the mall.

On Nov. 9, four masked men entered the Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside and smashed a glass display case containing bundles of cash.

Investigators said the robbers thought they were helping themselves to $250,000 in prize money, part of the casino’s “Golden Ticket” promotion, but instead walked away with about $60,000.

The robbers sped away in an SUV, which they abandoned later on Wildcat Canyon Road.

Prosecutors believe the robbers set up a distraction that morning by setting fire to a nearby construction site.

Chavira and McKnight are also suspected in robberies at The Watch Connection store in Costa Mesa on Aug. 2, a Ben Bridge store in San Jose on Oct. 15 and a Leeds & Son Fine Jewelry in Palm Desert on Oct. 26.

Chavira has a previous conviction in San Diego County for robbery and threatening a witness, the prosecutor said. McKnight has a conviction for residential burglary in San Diego County and aggravated assault in Tennessee.